Gareth Dunlop Talks New Mini-Album, Favourite Instruments And More

Acclaimed Northern Irish singer-songwriter and producer Gareth Dunlop returns with a raw, intimate new mini-album, ‘Live From The House Of I Don’t Know’, out now on Zenith Cafe. He very kindly chatted to JLTT about the release, favourite instruments and more:

 

When did you begin songwriting?

I started messing with little song ideas when I was around 16 or so… guitar playing came first, then some singing and then slowly I started getting into trying to write my own songs. The first handful were not good!

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

Watching and listening to my grandad play a few melodies on his mandolin. I’m not sure what age I was… but I would have been very young… I still have his mandolin and use it on recordings from time to time.

 

You have released your new mini-album ‘Live From The House Of I Don’t Know’. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

 

The idea for this project was to lock ourselves away in a house by the coast and cut the last studio album songs right down to the bone… strip away all the bells and whistles and re-work the songs in their bare form.

I wanted to cut the tracks ‘live’ with us all in the same room… going for a less is more approach on the production.

 

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

We recorded the album in an old 70’s house just outside of Strangford in County Down. The house sits right on the coast looking out over the Irish Sea. It’s very secluded and removed from the everyday distractions… the project was co-produced by me and the band – Matt Weir, Pete Wallace & Si Francis.

 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album’s recording?

I’ve worked, toured and recorded with the guys for a long time now… I’d say at least 70% of our time together is spent laughing!
One pretty memorable moment was on the last day of recording when we stripped off and jumped into the sea for a swim… good times.

 

Were there any other musicians who performed on the album with you?

Yeah I had my band of brothers – Matt Weir on drums/synth/vocals, Si Francis on bass/synth/vocals and Pete Wallace on Guitar/synth/vocals.

 

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

For the most part it was all pretty standard… guitars, drums, bass… We did use a modular synth triggered by some weird things like kalimbas to create some ambience. Matt’s drum set up is pretty un-orthodox too with a DX7 synth sitting across his kick drum.
Recording all together in an untreated living room threw up a few issues so most of the microphones were dynamic to help reduce any bleed and odd reflections.

 

One of the tracks on the album is ‘Small Talk’ . What was the story/inspiration behind that track?

Small Talk is a song about my social anxiety… my ability to say too much of the wrong thing from time to time is kind of a running joke in our house.

 

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

A. All We’ll Ever Need
B. Naive
C. Just In Case

 

Was it a difficult album to write?

Yes and no… some songs took a lot of time to unpack and others seemed to just rush out. I wrote a lot of songs for the album… I think the most difficult part was moving songs off the project as it came together.

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

That what I’m doing is making a difference to someone out there watching… no matter how small. I wouldn’t have got into performing live without watching other folks do it and getting something from it. I suppose the other thing would be how I feel afterwards… it doesn’t always go like this… but that feeling of tapping into something deeper in yourself through performing is something I’m always chasing.

 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I don’t really use pedals much… and my favourite stage mic is the trusty SM58! I like response of the 58 so much I use it in the studio for a lot of things… Guitar wise I’m playing an Eastman E1… it stays in tune and sounds pretty good plugged in. For keys I use a Nord stage 3 – its got a lot of options on it and is pretty bullet proof for the road.

 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I grew up and live here in Belfast. My five words would have to be – humble, warm, friendly, historic and complicated

 

How do you look after your voice?

I try to get as much sleep as I can when I’m on the road (which isn’t always the easiest thing to do). I try to drink less coffee and more water and if I feel like I’m over blowing I’ll try to not speak too much the next day.

 

Who designed the album artwork?

My wife Amy designed it. The three stained glass window panes feature on the side of the house where we cut the record… she took the image from a bad photograph and pulled it together beautifully.

 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I’m not much of a reader… It’s something I know I should be doing way more of… I did read a few of the sandman graphic novels a long time ago and I think the suspense, darkness and dream like imagery would be a lot of fun to try to score against.

 

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

Too many! Off the top of my head I would say Paul Simon is a huge inspiration especially for how he writes lyrics. So much depth and description… he does that thing where he takes you from the crease in the palm of a hand to a birds eye view, thirty thousand feet in the air inside a couple of lines.

At the minute I’d recommend checking out ‘Improvement Movement’ – 70’s Laurel Canyon vibes on steroids!

 

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

I have some summer festivals coming up and I’m just about to hit the road for a few shows with ‘Crash Test Dummies’
All gearing up towards my own UK tour in November!